Taking the Initiative
by danibanani
Summary: Sara's past experiences with men make her feel insecure about making the first move. Will Nick be the one to change all that?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"So why don't you just ask him to go to dinner with you already?" Nick teased, failing miserably at hiding a smile.

Sara blushed as she realized her co-worker had noticed her glancing a bit too long at the new lab tech from the day shift who was just getting off of shift while she was starting hers. "No, thanks, Nick…from my experience, I'd be better off keeping quiet. Ugh, I need my coffee," Sara replied as she tried to end the discussion by walking towards the break room for a cup of coffee, but Nick wasn't about to give up that easily as he followed her down the hall.

"From _my_ experience, guys like it when a girl takes the initiative to get to know a guy better."

"Yeah, _you'd_ know, Nicky, wouldn't you?" Sara said with a smirk.

Nick was about to question Sara more about what happened in her past that convinced her that a guy wouldn't jump at the chance to even go to breakfast with his attractive colleague because, well, he certainly wouldn't have minded as he had always had a bit of a soft spot for the brunette, but they had just reached the break room, and Grissom was already in there giving out the assignments.

"-And Catherine and Greg, you're with me at the Bellagio. We've got a triple homicide in one of the penthouse suites." Grissom looked up and saw the two CSIs enter. "Oh, Sara and Nick, you two have a DB out in Boulder City. Brass is already out there waiting for you guys. He said he'll tell you more when you get there. Let's go, it's going to be a busy shift."

"So much for that coffee, huh, Sara?" Nick said brightly as he headed out of the lab while Sara grabbed the assignment sheet and trailed after Nick, apprehensive of what Nick will ask her during the car drive.

"I'm driving!" Nick said when they reached the parking lot of the lab.

"Fine." Sara sighed and she tossed the keys over to Nick as she climbed into the lab-issued Denali.

As they were driving down the highway, Nick turned his head to Sara and asked, "So tell me again why you won't make the first move with a guy?"

"No, Nick…I let you drive, so don't bother me about that."

"Please?" Nick whined, making doggy eyes at her.

"Okay, okay" Sara chuckled and gave in. "Just keep your eyes on the road, so you don't kill us before I can tell you. Well, you know about Hank and how he cheated on me…not the best of my relationships."

"Oh, right…I guess flirting over a DB isn't as promising as I thought it'd be," Nick grinned, which earned him a punch in the arm. "Ow! Sorry, sorry…go on."

"And I'm sure most of you know about, um, Grissom," Sara hesitated, as she had never talked to anyone else about her feelings for her boss. "Every time I asked him to go out or do something about…us…he'd refuse to, making some excuse or saying he didn't know _what_ to do. He seemed so scared to give us a chance, but I don't even know what he was so afraid of. I mean, _I'm_ the one who asked him…all he would have to do is say yes. Remember when you told me I should go out more? Well, I called him that night asking if he wanted to go out and do you know what he said? He said he was at Catherine's, helping Lindsey with a school project! Can you blame me for never wanting to ask a guy to go out ever again?"

Nick, not prepared for this sudden outburst of Sara's feelings for Grissom and slightly disheartened that she had called Grissom instead of him after suggesting that she get out more, could only utter, "Sorry, Sara, I didn't mean to bring up these feelin-"

"And you know what else? I should have taken the hint from that incident in high school that I would never have a chance with men," Sara interrupted with a hint of bitterness.

"High school? What happened in high school?"

"Senior year prom. I was friends with this guy and well, I guess I sort of liked him too, and prom was coming up so I asked him if he wanted to go with me. He said, 'Uh, I don't know if I want to go…' even though I heard that he wanted to before!"

"What a jerk. So did you just not go to your prom?"

"No, I went with my best friend-"

"Oh, that's good, see, at least-"

"-who's a girl."

"…Oh."

There was a pause in the conversation until Sara exploded, "Is there something wrong with me, Nick? Do I just not seem fun? Am I that repulsive?"

"Whoa, Sara, trust me…you are _not_ repulsive. And you're definitely fun to talk to, as long as you're not too absorbed in a case. Maybe you just have to…ask the right guys."

"Oh, right, that's easy, Nick…like who?"

Nick saw an opportunity to spend time with Sara and smiling, he said, "Well, how about me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sara, not expecting that particular answer, could only stare back at Nick with an open mouth. Thankfully, she saw Brass waving his arms while their car drove right past him.

"Um, Nick, uh…we just drove past the crime scene."

Embarrassed, Nick turned the car back around and as soon as he stopped the car, Sara jumped out. Disappointed at Sara's reaction, it didn't help that Brass scolded him for not paying attention on the road.

* * *

After they had finished processing the scene, the two CSIs returned back to the lab, the car ride back being an awkwardly silent one. Nick was cautious about the way Sara kept avoiding eye contact with him and stubbornly staring out her window and decided that it was better to keep his mouth shut for now.

Sara knew that Nick was probably joking when he suggested that she ask him out on a date, but the way he was now acting in the car and the fact that her heart had skipped a beat when he said that were not what she expected to experience when she left to go to work that night. The comment Nick made had involuntarily made her consider her relationship with her co-worker of six years and the feelings she had for him. Were they really just platonic feelings? Or were there undercurrents of attraction that she was not aware of, hidden behind the playful flirtations she would occasionally exchange with the man next to her? And was she the only one who was going crazy at the moment, trying to figure out what her heart really wanted?

"I am going crazy…over a woman that I had, up until today, only considered as a colleague, a friend," thought Nick as his frustrations with himself caused him to grip the steering wheel tightly. "And now, I am saying the wrong things at the wrong time, I can't find anything to say at all, right or wrong, to break the tension in this car…what is wrong with me? What happened to the smooth, suave me? Did he happen to take a break and decide to let me fend for myself once I realized I might have more than friendly feelings towards Sara? Heck, I even drove past a crime scene because of this woman! Oh crap, I almost just missed my turn again!" Nick swerved the car, driving slightly up onto the curb as he turned into the lab's parking lot, obviously a bit perturbed at the effect Sara was having on his ability to even pay attention while he was driving.

"Whoa, Nick, you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Just, uh…tired," Nick said, glad that she had at least said something to him during the ride back.

Back in the lab, however, Sara promptly avoided him again, heading straight to DNA with the blood evidence she had found at the crime scene. Sighing, Nick proceeded to run some prints through AFIS.

* * *

Sara ran to the evidence room to see if her hunch about the case was correct and just as she opened the door, she came face to face with the very man she was trying to avoid.

"Whoa, what's the rush, Sara? Missed me that much?" a surprised Nick said as he held out his arms to stop Sara from tripping over him.

"Uh, sorry to disappoint you Nick, but um, I just wanted to come in here to check with knife we found at the scene. If I'm right about this, I think we just bagged this case," Sara said excitedly but soon felt a bit awkward as she realized Nick still had his hands on her arms from when she entered.

Nick, noticing the awkwardness, looked down from her face to his hands and realized the source of the sudden discomfort felt in the room. Embarrassed, yet again as it seems he has been feeling that a lot lately when he was around Sara, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked back to the table. Clearing his throat, Nick said, "Well, uh, you're _always_ right though, aren't you? So I guess no double shift for us!"

Sara smiled slightly at the compliment, and after reexamining the evidence on the table, she confirmed that they indeed would not have to pull a double.

Sara was about to head out the door when Nick stopped her. "Hey, Sara…I, uh, just want you to know that what I said in the car, about me…and you asking me…and well, you know…I was just joking around. I don't want you to feel weird or anything. I mean we're friends, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…I was just thinking about the case, that's all. You know how I get when it comes to a hot case."

"Yeah, it's like love at first sight…you can't get your mind off of it."

Sara laughed, "Great analogy, Nicky. I sure do get turned on by blood spatter on the walls!"

"What, it doesn't?" Nick feigned shock. Cocking an eyebrow, he asked, "So what _does_ turn Sara Sidle on?"

"Ha ha, shut up, Nick before I punch you again and give you the cold shoulder."

"Right, and we don't want that, now do we?" Slinging his arm around her shoulder and leading her to the locker room to gather their things, Nick asked, "So why don't we celebrate the shortest case ever with breakfast? I'll even treat you since you solved the case."

Sara, feeling her heart flutter with the unexpected contact Nick made but shaking off the feeling, nodded with a smile. "For once, I'm not too tired to enjoy a meal after a case."

Suddenly, Nick stopped and turned to her, and in a mockingly serious tone, he said, "Oh, and just so you know, I am only asking you, _as a friend_," putting heavy emphasis on the last three words.

Giggling, Sara replied, "Shut it, Stokes, I know…now, do you want breakfast or not?"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hi everyone! So sorry for taking so long to update…had a Statistics test to study for this week, and I had been tired out from the ball I went to on Sunday. But enough of my excuses…thank you all so much for the lovely reviews!

_Isabell89_: sorry for making Nick retreat from his feelings, but where's the fun in not torturing him (and my readers)? But I promise you, maybe not more talking, but more actions…especially towards the end of this chapter!

_LisaMR_: I am so glad you like the natural progression of their relationship…I think it suits them better, and I like fics that way too! And I think it's much more fun to see how they interact when it's drawn out like this.

_GeorgeEadsLover_: I have to say…I absolutely love your quote at the end of your review!

Now, on with the chapter!

Chapter 3

Nick leaned back against the booth at the dinner, proudly surveying the three empty plates that sat on the table in front of him. Across the table, Sara eyed her own tiny plate of her half-eaten vegetable omelet and compared it with Nick's. "I am vaguely reminded of the time you devoured those five In 'n' Out double, animal style burgers like you had been exiled in Zimbabwe for the last ten years," Sara commented.

"Hey, at least you didn't have to pay for it."

"Yeah, because _I_ won the bet," Sara said smugly.

"Of course, you always do…," Nick chuckled at her expression, thinking, "You always win the bet…the cases…my heart-" Nick's eyes went wide as he was surprised by his last thought, immediately pushing it to the farthest depths of his mind.

"What's wrong, Nick? Did you forget something?"

"Uh, yeah, I uh…I forgot to…feed my fish!" Nick stammered, cursing his wit for taking a vacation on the worst day.

With a look of skepticism on her face, Sara said, "You have a fish?"

"Yeah…I named it after you!"

"Uh huh…. Just to let you know, Stokes, I don't fall for that Texan charm," Sara said as she picked up the check and started to take money out of her wallet.

"Hey, you never know…and what are you doing? We agreed that I'm picking up the tab today," Nick objected as he reached across the table and tried to grab the check out of Sara's hand.

"I never agreed," Sara said, keeping the check out of his reach, with a smirk. "Stop trying to be a gentleman. Like I said, I'm not that easily charmed." She placed her half of the bill on the table and proceeded to walk out of the restaurant.

"Yeah, I've noticed…" grumbled Nick as he followed Sara out to the car.

* * *

For the next three months, Nick and Sara continued to spend time with each other, by themselves or with the others at the lab although when Greg tagged along, Nick tended to get annoyed more often than he usually does.

"_So Sara, you and me, sappy movie, dark theater, seats in the back, isn't this a great date?" Greg said excitedly._

"_This isn't a date, Greg…" Sara replied, casting Greg a suspicious look out of the corner of her eyes._

"_No, but who says it can't turn out to be something more, hm?" conspired Greg as he not so inconspicuously slid his arm across Sara's shoulders._

"_Hey, Romeo, cool it…we're trying to watch a movie. I didn't pay ten dollars to see you try to seduce Sara," Nick snapped, and just as Greg opened his mouth to say something, Nick interrupted, "And could you move your arm…it's poking my shoulder."_

"_Fine…don't need to get your panties in a bunch. Ruining Romeo's game…" Greg mumbled surly as he moved his arm back to his side._

However, he had noticed that Catherine and Grissom didn't join them as often as the rest of the team, something Sara had started to pick up on too. Since the two of them had grown much closer over the past few months, Nick wasn't surprised when Sara brought up her suspicions on Grissom and Catherine's absences, and their implications, with him.

"Why do you think they never hang out with us anymore? I mean, they used to at least join us for breakfast, but now, we see less and less of them. Do you think there's something going on between the two of them?" Sara asked, clearly frustrated with the way the older CSI's seemed to be hiding something.

"Well, they _are_ best friends and after the break up of the team last year, I'm sure they've just been catching up a lot. Anyway, why do you care? I thought you were over Grissom."

"I am, it's just-," Sara hesitated, "old habits die hard?" She sighed, adding, "Sorry, I'm sure you're right…that it's nothing. Anyway, what movie did you rent this week?"

* * *

A few days later, the team was discussing the current case in the break room, and try as she might, Sara couldn't get past the doubts that Grissom and Catherine's friendship was just a platonic one.

"So the blue fiber we found in the vic's hair matched the one lodged in the gun that was registered to the vic's brother, but he claimed he hadn't seen her in a week because he'd been busy organizing his firm's networking party. He didn't have a solid alibi, but I did some digging around, and I found a pair of blue gloves in the vic's husband's car, stashed in the door compartment on the driver's side. Printed the car, only found one set of prints in it – the husband's," Catherine said, smiling slightly. Sara noted that Catherine hardly made eye contact with anyone else in the room besides Grissom while she talked about the case.

"Great thinking, Cath. Might have to take you out to coffee for saving all of us from a double shift," Grissom said, reciprocating the smile, holding Catherine's gaze for a second too long.

"Hey, how come you never take me out for coffee when I solve a case?" Greg asked indignantly.

"Man, have you ever solved a case single-handedly?" Warrick said with a laugh.

"Well, maybe if I worked solo…"

"Yeah, don't think that's going to happen anytime soon, Greggo," Nick said, clapping Greg on his back, but not without seeing the glares Sara was sending across the table to Catherine.

"Okay, case is solved, shift is over, let's go!" Catherine said, trying to clear everyone out of the room. As everyone got up from their seats and walked out of the room, Grissom walked back into his office, and they could all hear Catherine say, "Hey, you coming, Gil?"

"No, you go ahead. I have to finish up this paperwork. But I'll see you at dinner tonight at Andre's?"

This response stopped all the younger CSI's in their tracks and they turned around slowly to stare questioningly at their supervisor. They all knew that Andre's was one of the most upscale restaurants in Vegas, and no one went there if it was not for a special occasion, unless they are rich, and Grissom is not one to splurge on gastronomic indulgences.

Realizing what he had said, Grissom peered around his office door and stammered, "Uh, you know, to um, meet with the mayor to discuss the budget increase he's proposing for the lab."

"At Andre's?" Greg exclaimed incredulously.

"Doesn't hurt to suck up to the guy who's financing the lab, Greg," Catherine replied smoothly, guiding the rest of the CSI's toward the locker room.

"Wow, what do you guys thing _that_ was all about?" Warrick asked the younger CSI's when they were out of Catherine's earshot in the locker room.

"I think those two are getting more action than I am," Greg said, closing his locker.

"Greg, _everyone_ gets more action than you do," Nick said with a chuckle. "But hey, they could be telling the truth…maybe they are just taking the mayor out to dinner."

"Yeah, well, whatever's going on, it's none of my business. See ya, guys," Warrick said as he and Greg left the room.

After staying quiet through this whole exchange, Sara finally burst out, "See, even Greg thinks there's something going on! Come on, Nick, how do you not see it?"

"Sara, like Warrick said, it's none of our business, even if there is something going on between them. And you should stop sending death glares to Catherine before anyone else notices." Nick said, trying to comfort Sara while also trying to stop himself from feeling let down that Sara was still getting riled up about Grissom.

"…you saw?" Sara said sheepishly.

"Yeah, and maybe you wouldn't get so angry and preoccupied with this Grissom and Catherine thing if you just stared at me more instead of Catherine," Nick said as he flashed her a smile.

"You're right," sighed Sara, letting the corners of her mouth curl up slightly. "Let's go."

As they walked out of the locker room, neither noticed the board placed near the entrance of the room that warned them of the slippery floor that had just been mopped. When Sara pulled open the door, her feet flew from under her and her bag went flying. Nick instinctively reached out his arms and grabbed her waist, steadying her footing while pulling her closer to him at the same time.

The two of them, frozen by the closeness that Sara's accident had resulted in, could only think of the sudden desire to close the small distance between them with a kiss they both had been resisting to giving into. They searched each other's faces for a sign of the other's feelings, for the longing they had both been suppressing.

All of a sudden, the door flew open with a surprised Greg nearly trampling over them as he tried to get to his locker.

A/N (number 2): I have another test coming up next week, and I apologize in advance if I can't have the next chapter up earlier! Hope you liked this chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: (Sorry for the repeated updates if any of you are receiving emails for the same chapter…I had to change a phrase in the middle of it and then I realized that I was missing my previous author's notes!) Sorry for taking so long to update, the tests just keep coming and coming! But this chapter is a bit longer and we're finally getting somewhere with these two! Thank you all so much for all the lovely reviews…I didn't know that you all would like it so much! I really appreciate all the reviews and they push me even more to update more quickly…okay, now read on!

* * *

Chapter 4

Nick and Sara whipped their heads around and saw Greg, breaking their intense gazes, and stood frozen in front of the unwelcome intruder for a second, giving Greg flustered looks. Then, Nick immediately dropped his arms from Sara's waist while Sara sprang away from him and proceeded to pick up the fallen contents of her bag from when she had slipped.

"Sara, you're cheating on me? With _this_ Texan? " Greg gasped in mock surprise before heading to his locker again. "What were you guys doing?"

"I wasn't cheating on y- Greg, we're not even going out!" Sara exclaimed as she avoided making eye contact with Greg and continued fumbling with her bag even though she had already put everything back inside.

"Yeah, yeah. Stop ignoring the question."

Sara looked up, saying matter-of-factly, "I slipped on the wet floor and Nick caught me. Simple as that."

"Uh huh…that simple, huh?" Greg eyed Sara skeptically and shut his locker. "Would something that simple make your face look so red?"

"What did you come back in here for anyway, man?" Nick said, after finally having found his voice again, trying to shift the focus away from Sara, as she now looked sick from the fear of what Greg might be thinking.

"Needed my mints," Greg said, shaking the box in his hand. Winking, he continued, "Got a date tonight with the DNA girl."

"Wendy?" Sara choked out. "And you accused _me_ of cheating on you."

"Well, you might as well have been, seeing the way you two were looking at each other. See ya!" Greg said, leaving the room a second time, not catching Sara's face turn even redder.

Now with just the two of them again, Nick cleared his throat and said, "The crazy things that kid thinks up. If he'd only put that imagination to good use."

"Yeah, I mean really, 'looks we were giving each other.' Doesn't even know what he's talking about," Sara said, shaking her head and trying to laugh off Greg's comments and the intimate situation the two were in earlier.

Nick smiled and held the door open for Sara as they walked out of the locker room. Both of them were trying to mask what had happened earlier as a simple accident, but the disguise could not fool their hearts as they knew deep down inside that more was felt in that incident than the fear of falling on the floor, the fear of falling for each other.

* * *

For the next month and a half, Nick and Sara dodged each other in the locker room, especially whenever it was freshly mopped, and avoided making eye contact when they couldn't, both wary of what the other felt after the slipping incident. While on cases together, they would talk strictly of business, trying to keep the awkwardness between them to a minimum and also trying to steer clear of needing to discuss what exactly _had_ happened that day.

Since they had started to spend less and less time with each other, Sara spent more and more time alone after getting off shift and on her days off. However, she knew that the more time she spent thinking about her confused state about Nick would make things even worse between them and they might eventually stop talking, so she began to think about her relationship with Grissom.

"Grissom _has_ seemed happier lately, and I've gotten a few smiles out of him. More than usual anyway. Maybe he's finally figured out what to do about…_this_. Maybe if I give him one more chance, he'll realize he should finally take it," Sara would think. Every day, she would attempt to build up her confidence to take the initiative, knowing she didn't have much to lose since she had brought the topic up with him before. But days passed and Sara could not bring herself to spit out the question. She thought that it was only her nerves, the possibility that what she had been yearning for for years will finally be hers. However, she didn't know that it was also because her feelings for Nick tugged her confidence back, not letting her make a mistake with the wrong man. One day, a month and a half later, however, her mind won over her heart and she decided to take the initiative.

* * *

Warrick, Nick, and Greg were sitting around the break room table and Sara was already getting her second cup of coffee when Warrick finally said after checking his watch for the third time, "Where are they? Gris and Cath are never this late."

"Speak of the devils…" Nick muttered as both Grissom and Catherine entered the break room just then with their hair and clothes a bit more disheveled than they should have been, even if they were running late.

"So what, you two giving each other rides to work now? Grissom drove too slowly?" Greg pestered good-naturedly.

"Actually, Gil- " Catherine started.

However, Grissom cut her off, saying, "We'll get to that in a bit. First, here are the assignments. Nick and Warrick, you're out in Henderson with a missing persons. Sara, you're with Cath at the Monte Carlo with a DB. And I'm stuck with you, Greg. We're taking a trip to Reno."

"Hey, you say it like it's a bad thing," Greg said in a hurt tone. "So what was it that Catherine was so eager to explain to us before you cut her off? I can't take the suspense!"

Gil cast a sideways glance at Catherine, which she returned with a questioning look, like she wanted his approval before she disclosed the news. Gil gave a slight nod, and despite looking a bit apprehensive of the reactions of the rest of the CSI's, they could all see a smile threatening to creep across their supervisor's face.

Catherine cleared her throat and announced, "Well, we've been discussing when we should let you all know about this, and please don't hate us for not telling you sooner. At least not me anyway because _I_ sure didn't want to keep it a secret." At this, Catherine glared at Gil for a second. "We finally decided this morning that we'd let it out. Um, so are you guys busy next month, on the sixteenth?"

"Catherine, for the love of God, tell us what is so important on the sixteenth!" Greg exploded as he was already on the edge of his seat, his anticipation getting the better of him.

Gil sighed and gave in, finally breaking a smile and saying, "Catherine and I are getting married. December sixteenth at the Bellagio. We'll give you guys the invitations later."

Sara choked on her coffee and almost dropped her cup while Nick sat there stunned with his mouth open, staring at them like he was expecting either one of them to burst out in laughter and confess it was all a joke.

"Well, Bellagio, huh? Beats my drive-through wedding!" Warrick laughed. "Congrats, guys! I can't say I'm too surprised though."

"The Bellagio?" Greg asked, with wide eyes. "Did you guys decide on that when we were processing the scene during the Hutchen's case four and a half months ago?"

Smiles were all around the room with congratulations and hugs excitedly given to the newly engaged couple. However, although Sara joined in on the celebration, she felt slightly disheartened at the fact that she really had no chance with Grissom anymore.

"Who's up for a bit of bubbly before we hit the cases?" Brass came in, brandishing a bottle of champagne.

"Wait, _he_ knew, but we didn't?" Nick asked. "Well, now, that's not fair."

"Hey, I'm the best man. I need extra preparation time, you know!"

Sara grabbed a class of champagne a bit too eagerly and both Catherine and Nick noticed.

"All right, guys. Finish up that glass and we can all continue celebrating later. We've got bad guys to catch!" Catherine said, walking over to Sara, who already finished her glass, and took it out of her hand.

"You're just trying to rush us to finish our cases so that you and Grissom and go back home and- "

"Greg…" Grissom warned.

"Oh, you're in for a long shift. Sanders isn't going to let processing the scene get in the way of teasing you. Good luck, Gris," Warrick said, patting Grissom on the back as he filed out of the room with the others while Grissom groaned.

* * *

"Hey, Sara…you okay?" Catherine asked her co-worker who was processing the hotel room alongside her.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sara answered as she busied herself with trying to find trace on the bed sheets.

"Sara, I know you've…had feelings for Grissom before, or even now…I don't know. And I just…" Catherine sighed and looked down from what she was doing before looking back up at Sara's face, which was covered with an expressionless mask. "I don't want there to be any hard feelings over this. I have argued with Grissom more than once about telling you guys, especially you. I know we're not all that close, and we definitely clashed a bit when you first came here, but you're my friend, Sara, and I don't want this to…make things uncomfortable at work…or have you secretly hurting inside."

Sara, surprised by how much Catherine cared about her feelings, paused her examination of the sheets and responded, "I was a bit shocked before, yes. And I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed when you guys made the announcement. But I have never seen Grissom so happy before…he never smiled like that when he was around me. And you'd be good for him, you know? You'd make sure he has fun. Me? If he were with me, our dates would consist of alternatively listening to the police scanner and reading forensics journals. Oh, and maybe for fun, we'd discuss his bugs and even take them out to race each other!"

Catherine smiled as she saw Sara start to grin. "You can have fun too, Sara. Find a guy you can have fun with…someone who can make you smile without your realizing that you are. Who do you have fun with, Sara? I'm sure there's someone," Catherine said knowingly, thinking of the way her mood always lightens when Nick is in her presence. Catherine could see Sara mulling this thought over in her head and teased, "Remember, you're going to need a date to the wedding. Otherwise, I'm not letting you go. Oh, and before I forget, would you like to be my maid-of-honor?"

Feeling like a weight had finally been lifted off her heart and grinning for the first time out of true happiness, Sara nodded enthusiastically and asked, "So how long has this been going on?"

"Oh, we've been hiding this from all of you for about nine months. And Gil proposed a month and a half ago…remember Andre's?"

Sara nodded, finally understanding why the two had been so vague about the dinner at the restaurant. "Nine months? How bad of CSI's are we?" she laughed, "So the Bellagio, huh? And the wedding's in a month? How did you manage that?"

"Sam Braun…I was surprised Gil took him up on his offer to pay for everything and use his connections to book us a date at the hotel. I think Gil didn't want to waste anymore time than we already have in finally getting married."

"Well, what can I say? You two are a lucky couple. Love was right in front of you."

"Hey, you shouldn't be talking," Cath said, receiving a confused look from Sara. Deciding to let her figure out her feelings for herself, Catherine just continued with where she had left off, scraping blood from the carpet for evidence.

* * *

"Hey, guys, done with your case already?" Sara said to Warrick and Nick, as she walked into the break room to ease her mind from the case for a bit.

"Yup, the husband wasn't too cautious about where he left his DNA, and he felt so guilty, he straight up confessed to everything," Warrick said with a pleased look on his face.

"Don't look so smug, Warrick. So, Catherine gave me the wedding invitation earlier. It said, 'You and your guest…' Are you bringing Tina?" Sara asked nonchalantly as she poured herself some coffee.

"Yup, and I think Greg is planning on bringing Wendy. They're getting pretty serious, so I hear. What about you? Who are you thinking of bringing?"

"I- well- "

"Hey, Warrick, I need you for a sec. You got the forms you filled out for your last case?" Catherine called from the hallway.

"Yeah, sure, let me get them," Warrick shouted back. "Sorry, guys, catch you later."

As Warrick exited the room, Sara promptly turned to Nick and asked, "Hey, Nick, want to be my date for the wedding?"

Nick hesitated and his mouth was trying to form words that couldn't seem to make it past his lips. Sara felt her heart fall again for the second time that day as her smile faltered a bit and the pride she felt earlier for finally being able to take the initiative, albeit it was with a different man than she had originally intended, to ask Nick to be her date with the possibility of taking their relationship past friendship deflated like a punctured balloon.

"Sara, I…um…"

* * *

A/N# 2: I know you probably think I'm evil for ending this chapter like that, but at least Sara finally made a move! And sorry for the Gil and Catherine action in this chapter that some of you might not have cared much for, but it's all for the good of the story, really! I'll try to update sooner this time…leaving reviews will help speed up the process, I promise! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you all so much again for all the reviews…ten reviews in two days! And the comments!...they really do make a writer happy, so thanks again for staying with me for this far into the story. I did not think that people would think that Nick had someone else in mind or had a girlfriend already, but that gave me an idea…hehe.

And also, _Isabell89_, I didn't know that the time shifts would be confusing, but I only did that because I didn't think any of you would really want me to keep going on and on in detailed conversations about how they hung out for months and became closer and blah blah blah, but I hope I still explained enough so that you know what happened during those few months. This chapter doesn't have any major time jumps, so this one should be less confusing!

I know I promised an earlier update, but between my spazzy laptop and a major test this week _and_ packing for my trip for spring break, this was the fastest I could get this chapter up! But I think this chapter has an extra bit of fluff, and hopefully, all of you will like it enough to review it for me!

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Chapter 5

Sensing the hesitation in Nick's voice, Sara quickly said, "Oh, but you probably already have someone else in mind. Sorry, I wasn't thinking. It's all right, I'll just go ask, um…Hodges or something." As she turned away from him to run away from him as quickly as possible, she felt a pang in her chest and her face screwed up from the disappointment she felt that she had, once again, missed out on another chance with another man because she had not taken the initiative earlier. "God, he might even have a girlfriend now and I wouldn't even know because we've hardly spoken recently! I am so stupid and- "

"Hey, Sara, wait hold on…" Nick interrupted Sara's thoughts after taking a couple of seconds to overcome his initial shock from Sara suddenly asking him to be her date, her mistaking his hesitation for rejection, and the fact that she'd even consider asking Hodges to be her date! He grabbed her arm before she could walk away, turning her back towards him and drawing her closer. Smiling, he continued, "First of all, Hodges? Are you saying I'm on the same level as Hodges is? Because if that's the case, I really am going to have to say no."

Letting out a slight laugh but with sadness still in her eyes, Sara said softly, "Of course not. I think I'd actually prefer taking his microscope to the wedding over him."

Satisfied, Nick said, "Good. And no, I don't have someone in mind…I actually hadn't thought about that yet, what with the case and all." He hoped his voice wasn't betraying his statement because although he really hadn't thought much about it, it was only because he had only thought of asking the one person he thought would no longer want to speak to him in anything other than professional circumstances.

"Oh…so _do_ you want to…with me…" the question fading out of Sara's mouth, leaving the question hanging because Nick still hadn't explained his earlier hesitation.

"Sara," Nick started cautiously, "you're not just asking me because Grissom's getting married to Cath, are you? I mean, you're not just doing this out of spite?" Nick didn't want to touch any sensitive nerves and upset Sara even more, but he also didn't want to get his hopes up without knowing for sure that she really wanted to go with him for his company and not because she still ached to have Grissom fall in love with her.

Drawing her brows together and a mixture of confusion, surprise, and annoyance crossing her face, Sara said, "Nick, that is the most absurd- how could you think- " Sara didn't even know how to express all the emotions she was feeling. "No! I mean, yes, I was a bit upset at first, but then I realized that Grissom's with the person he's happiest with and no matter how many more years I spend pining away for him, it's not going to change the fact that he's head over heels in love with Catherine. And you know what? I'm happy for them, I really am."

"Well, I'm glad you've finally sorted your feelings out and –"

"Wait, I'm not done, Nick. And I just thought that you're my friend, and I'm sure we'd have a fun time together, so I just figured…we could go together? I mean, we _are_ still friends, right?"

"Oh, Sara, of course we are. I guess we both just felt a bit too awkward after that locker room thing, and we've been hit with a lot of hard cases so we couldn't talk all that much anyway, but I swear I wouldn't want to lose our friendship over something like that," Nick said reassuringly, feeling relieved about the fact that they could clear up the event at last. Putting an arm around her shoulders and walking her out of the break room, he added, "And I would be honored to be the maid-of-honor's date."

Seeing Sara's surprised look on her face, Nick explained "Yeah, Gris told me that Catherine asked you to be her maid-of-honor when he apologized to me about not including me in the wedding party because there wouldn't be another bridesmaid for me to walk down the aisle with."

"What about Catherine's sister?"

"Yeah, she's pregnant, so Catherine didn't want to strain her with the walk down the aisle."

"Brass is lucky then."

"Yeah, he is…" Nick responded, thinking that Brass wasn't just lucky because he was part of the wedding party but also because he would get to walk arm-in-arm down the aisle with Sara, something he knew he'd never be able to do. "My God, what am I thinking? Of course I never will, we're just friends. _Just_ friends…I feel nothing more for her," Nick thought, shaking his head at himself, laughing at how silly he was.

"Nick, you okay? Why are you laughing?"

Thinking quickly, Nick answered, "Oh, just imagining you and Brass walking down the aisle together…it'll be like walking down the aisle with your dad!"

Sara chuckled, replying jokingly, "You're just jealous."

"Over you? Never!" Nick said, squeezing her shoulder playfully. "All right, I'm going to head home. You better not pull a triple!"

"Oh, I might have to because all Catherine talks about is the wedding now," Sara laughed, "but I'll see you."

Sara was about to head off and find Catherine when Nick called out, "Hey, movie and Chinese this weekend?"

Happy that they were going to start hanging out again, Sara replied with a smile, "At my place, Saturday at 7."

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The doorbell rang, and Sara sprang up to open the door, already knowing who was on the other side.

"Hey, Nick! I trust that food you've got is vegetarian-friendly?" Sara said, peering into the bag of Chinese take-out that Nick handed over to Sara as he entered her apartment and sprawled himself across her sofa.

Nick nodded. "Vegetable stir-fry with tofu and soy sauce. What movie did you get?"

"_Say Anything_. John Cusack's in it," Sara called from the kitchen.

"…That's a chick flick, isn't it? So _I_ pick up vegetarian food for you and _you_ rent a sappy movie? This is the last time I let you pick." Nick whined as Sara walked back into the living room with their food and a couple of bottles of beer.

After setting the food down on the table and swatting Nick's feet away so that she would have room on the couch, she replied, "I thought guys like John Cusack…he's funny."

"Yeah, he's cute too," Nick said. He continued in a high voice with a hand across his heart and batted his eyelashes, sighing, "And sweet and charming and oh-so-perfect!"

Sara laughed into her food and slapped Nick playfully, almost causing him to spill his beer. "Shut up…just watch the movie. You never know, you might be charmed by Mr. Cusack," she said with a smile as she pressed the play button.

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"Do girls like her really get the guy at the end? I mean, like the guy said in the movie, 'Brains stick with brains.' Could a guy like John Cusack's character, who is the antithesis of a nerd, ever fall for a geeky girl like that?" Sara asked as the credits started to roll.

Nick found himself closer to Sara than he was when the movie started…but he blamed that on the fact that they were sharing a bowl of popcorn. "Of course a guy could, Sara. The girl's like you…and who wouldn't fall for you?"

Sara looked over at him, expecting to see a joking look in his eyes but all she saw was genuine sincerity. She was so surprised by this that she didn't answer him for the first few seconds. Then, she realized their close proximity and immediately jumped off the couch and started cleaning up the food.

"Right, Nick…stop kidding around and help me bring this stuff into the kitchen," Sara finally said, trying to laugh off his comment.

As they brought the food back into the kitchen, Nick sensed that maybe he had gone a bit too far with his last line. "How did I let that slip?" he thought, warning himself that his feelings for Sara might be becoming too strong to continue to be hidden behind his disguise of playful flirtations and friendly jokes.

"So, uh…how's all the wedding business coming along? Catherine stressed out yet?" Nick said, trying to start up their conversation again.

"No, _I'm _the one who's stressed out. She actually seems to be having a lot of fun with this, ordering me around to help her do this and that. And when I complain, she reminds me that I had agreed to all of this so she has every right to be a bridezilla if she wants to," Sara groaned. "But she looked so happy in her wedding dress when we went to get our dresses altered after shift yesterday that I don't think I can bear to complain to her anymore. She's just too happy and in love!"

Nick chortled. "Wait until they get actually get married. Gris and Cath smiling and making googly eyes at each other so much that we will be begging for cases just so that we won't be stuck in a room with them!" he said. "So, dress shopping, huh? Let me see you in your dress!"

"No way! You will just have to wait along with everyone else, Nicky," Sara said with a stern tone.

Maybe it was the way she had said "Nicky" or just the fact that he wanted to see Sara all dressed up and not in the jumpsuits he usually sees her wear at work, but he had the impulse to run out of the kitchen and to her room, where he was sure she kept the dress.

"Nick, no! Where are you going?" Sara shrieked as she sprinted after him and managed to squeeze in front of him right before he reached her bedroom door, blocking his way. Her body was flat against her door, and Nick's hands were pressed against the doorframe with his chest inches from hers.

Panting, he teased, "Oh, come on, Sidle…you know we're going to end up in the bedroom tonight anyway. Just make it easier for me, okay?"

Feeling his breath on her face made Sara's cheeks flush even more from her sprint across her apartment. "Nick, you're not going in my room to see the dress. Catherine will be so pissed off that she'll put you on double shift cases."

"Well, okay fine. I won't see the dress, but we can still go into your room to do _other_ stuff…" Nick suggested, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Sara stared at him, not knowing what to say, but the look on her face might have conveyed a sense of uncomfortable confusion and shock because Nick suddenly backed away from her and gave her room to breathe, saying with a laugh, "Just kidding, Sara! You know me better than that to think I would ever suggest something like that out of nowhere!"

However, Sara was actually feeling the opposite. The closeness of Nick's body, the heat she felt that was coursing through their bodies, the hint of lust that she thought she had detected in Nick's eyes all made her want to throw caution to the wind and let her friend take her, in her room, across the kitchen tabletop, on the couch, anywhere he wanted, however he wanted. But when Nick had all of a sudden put some distance between the two of them, her feeling of lust disappeared and Sara blamed her sudden shameless thoughts on her lack of a love life.

At that moment, Nick's hand flew to his pocket and answered his cell phone. "Stokes. Gris, today? How many- why- who else is- …all right, okay. I know you have to. Okay, I'll be there in 20 minutes. Bye."

"Grissom called?" Sara questioned.

"Yeah, he needs me to finish up his case for him. It's a 'friend of the mayor's' case, so it needs to be wrapped up as quickly as possible, but he needs to help Catherine with some 'wedding emergency.'"

"Well, I'd go and help you, but I think Catherine has a wedding-packed day for me in about six hours."

"Yeah, that's what Grissom said, so he said he's having Greg and Warrick help out with the case too."

"Sorry…I know this night was your night off," Sara said with an apologetic look.

"Not your fault. And anyway, I had a fun time tonight. Same time next weekend?"

Grinning, Sara answered, "Yeah, but you get to pick the movie this time, whiner. Bye, Nick…good luck with the case."

"Bye, Sara. Good luck with the wedding monster!" Nick said as he walked out the door.

Sara watched him leave, feeling a slight sinking in her heart as she closed the door as she had hoped she could have spent more time with her best friend although she had no idea why.

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A/N# 2: I know we didn't get very far in the plot in this chapter, but the next chapter should be the wedding (unless I am told more fluff is needed!). But I have to warn you, the next update won't be for at least another week because I will be going on a week-long bus tour around England (am excited!) starting tomorrow, so I won't be back until next Friday, but I promise you, I will definitely be brainstorming! 


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